Radio control head



Nov. 19, 1940. B, A. scHwARi RADIO CONTROL HEAD Filed Jan. 8, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 222 Q, Jcfz ura t2 I ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 19, 1940. B. A.. SCHWARZ RAD-IO. CONTROL HEAD Filed Jan. 8, 1937 a Sheets-Sheet 2v IN VEN TOR,

m E z M f u T a m M w I, m w w? B. A. scHwARz RADIO CONTROL HEAD Nov. 19, 1940.

Filed Jan. 8, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

/ ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 19, 1940 PATENT OFFICE RADIO CONTROL HEAD Bertram A. Schwarz, Kokomo, Ind., assignor to Zenith Radio'Corporation, Chicago, 11]., a. corporation of Illinois Application January 8, 1937, Serial No. 119,551

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a remote control and more specifically to a remote control head for radio'receiving sets.

With the Widespread use of radio receiving sets at present it is often necessary to place the receiver chassis including the tubes and operating apparatus at one point and to locate at some point removed therefrom means for tuning and turning off and on the apparatus. This is particularly true in automotive sets where it is usually necessary to mount the chassis and working parts on the dash or fire wall between the engine and the interior of the car and to mount the control knobs and dial included in a control head 'either on the instrument panel or upon the steering column so that they will be at a point readily accessible to the operator.

It is therefore the object of my invention to provide a control head which may be conveniently attached and which includes all the necessary manual operating functions of a radioreceiver set.

It is a further object of my invention to provide such a control head as may be adapted to be mounted at diiferent'locations and under diiferent circumstances.

With these and other objects in view the embodiments of my invention are described in the following specification and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my invention as applied to a steering column device.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

' Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figures 4 and 5 are sectional views taken substantially on lines 4-4 and 5-5 respectively of Figure 3. I I

Figures 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views of my invention applied to a diiferent' plate for supporting the'control.

The particular type of assembly mainly disclosed in the present invention'is that adapted to be applied'to a steering column but the working portions of the apparatus -may readily be applied to a fiat plate which is insertible-in the instrument panel as well.

Referring now specifically toFigure 1, the casing 2 is divided into three portions: a front plate 4; rear plate 6; and an'end one half round portion 8 which'is adapted to be secured against the other-half of the casing by suitable screws I0, the steering column passing through-the aperture between the two portions.

The opposite end of the casing is enlarged to ports therein a visible tuning dial 5 and two con-' trol knobs 9 and I, one of which tunes the set and rotates-the dial; the other being a volume and tone control, all of which will be more clearly set forth in detail as the specification proceeds.

A pear-shaped bracket I2 is supported within the bulbous cavity of the control head and centrally located in the larger end is a raised circular portion l4, the end of which is open and supports an insulated annular ring it within the center of which is supported a socket l8 having therein an electric lamp 20. A suitable cable 22 supplies the socket from some remote source with electrical energy. The other portion of the pear shaped member [2 extends toward the edge of the bulbous opening and includes a rearwardly extended tubular portion 24 which carries therein a bushing'ZB the exterior portion of the extension 24 being screw-threaded and having applied thereon a cap 28 which clamps a portion of a flexible hollow cable 30 to the'housing. Within the cable is a rotatable flexible drive shaft which terminates-with a tongue connector 32 which fits within a slot within a connector 34 rotatable within'the bushing 26, said member 34 being of reduced diameter as it approaches the front of the casing andhaving a second tongue terminal 36 which fits within a slot in the inner end of a shaft 38 which extends forwardly and outside of the casing.

Concentric with and surrounding the shaft 38 is a hollow sleeve 40 which is rotatable withina threaded bushing 42, the latter being in engage ment with a threaded opening 44 in the forward portion of the bracket l2. The bracket l2 at this point extends through an opening 46 in the outer shell and isclamped thereto by a suitable nut 48-applied to the threaded portion extending through the forward face.

To the opposite side of the bracket I2 is connected a supporting bracket 50 by screws 52, said connection in the plate having a slot so that it may be moved readily around the central portion of the device for adjustment. Through this plate extends an opening 53 through which extends a sleeve 54, a portion extending through the openingbeing externally threaded and a nut 55 tightened down upon the plate to clamp it against the shoulderon the other side to rigidly secure the sleeve to the plate. This sleeve also extends forwardly through an aperture in the lzo outer casing and is externally threaded on the projecting portion. A clamping nut 58 is threaded thereon to clamp the sleeve to the outer casing. In this mannerv both the sleeve and the bracket I2 are clamped to the outer casing.

Within the sleeve 54 is a hollow rotatable sleeve 60 which extends out through the forward end of the sleeve 54, is externally screw-threaded and has rigidly secured to rotate therewith a knob or collar portion 62 which is held in place by a nut 64. The inner end of the sleeve 68 is enlarged and the outer periphery has suitable knurls cut 'therein as shown at 66 which knurls' are made; available through an opening 61 in the outer.

sleeve 54 to contact with gear 68 whicl'i'is pivotedon a suitable shaft support Ill, said shaft support being the operating member of a tone control element 12 also supported on the plate 50,

Thus when the knob 62 is turned it rotates the sleeve 60 and drives the tone control element through 66 and 68.

Within the sleeve 60 is supported a'rotatable shaft I4 which has secured on the outer end an operating knob I, the inner end of said shaft beingconnected by a' tongue and groove joint I8 to a rotatable flexible shaft 80 within a flexible housing 82, said flexible housing 82 being clamped to the end of the outer sleeve 54 by a cap 84.

-In the central portion of the outer casing'is an opening withinwhich is secured a circular annular bezel 86 which extends'inwardly' and has tongues '88 thereon adapted to be clamped over the periphery of the bracket I2 at certain points. Within this bezel is secured an annular shield 90, most of the surface of which is covered with opaque paint 9I but certain portions thereof are left translucent to form the dial numerals. Clamped. under the edge of the bezeland across the face of the whole is a transparent cover 92.

Also clamped between the end of the annular member 90 and the edge of the bracket I2 is, a spider 94 carrying at its center abushing 96 through which extends a rotatable stub shaft 98 carrying at its outer end a dial arrow I80, said dial being riveted to the end of the shaft by a rivet I02 and rotating'with the shaft, said arrow dial also completely filling the circular opening in the annular member 90. Secured to the other end of the stub shaft 98 is a transparent gear I04 which-is adapted to mesh with a transfer gear I08 carried on the bracket I2'by'a suitable support, said transfer gear meshing with a gear I08 carried upon the stub shaft 34 and rotatable therewith so that when the shaft 34 is rotated the dial arrow will also be rotated to indicate the position of the tuning elementson a remote set. i

The sleeve 40 has adjacent its inner end two collars IIO integral therewith and between said collars an arm II2 projects, said arm being a switch arm and adaptedupon longitudinal movement 'of the sleeve to close a suitable switch "I 'I 4 which is supported on an insulating block III; in the bracketI2, a conductor I IB'being in circuit with-the bulb 2E! and the switch" point H4 and therefore contact of these two points I I2 and H4 completes the circuit to the bulb to cause illumination. 1 I a I A spring I28 between the collars H and the gear I08, concentric with the rotatable sleeve and of the compression type, tends to keep the sleeve pressed outwardly so that the switch is normally open and when it is desired to illuminate the dial the knob'9 secured 'to the outer end of the sleeve has tobe' pressed in to force "I, anywhere around the peripheryof the bracket the sleeve in and allow the switch to close. However, if it is desired to maintain the light-at all times when the set is in operation, the threaded outer sleeve 42 which projects through the supporting nut 48 and has secured thereto a control knob I24 for rotation therewith is utilized. It will be noted that when this knob I24 is turned with outer sleeve 42 thethreads thereon will cause axial movement and since this sleeve presses against the collars I I0 it will force the same inwardly to maintain the switch closed at all times and is therefore a locking means for the switch:

If in connecting this control head to the remote setthe setting on the dial is not in accordance with the setting, of the variable condensers in the set and it is desired to bring the two into correspondence, this may be done by removing the knob 9, which it will be noted from Figure 4 is the connecting means between the inner shaft 138 and the-outersleeve 48, the inner shaft 38 being-connectedto the tuning condenser-and the outer sleeve to the dial for indication. Therefore one .may be rhoved in relation to the other to bring the two into correct correspondence for tuning. 1

1 1 It;is thus seen that the illumination from the bulb 20, will proceed through the transparent gear I84,- through the spider and to the dial and arrow portionsas desired. Rotation of the knob 'I will cause a variation in volume control at the set through a rotatable flexible drive 80; rotation of the knobtz below the outerknob I, wi1l cause rotation of the tone control member I2; rotation It should further be'pointed out'that by -removing the screws '52 the control means supported'upon plate may bemoved to any desired position by threading them into suitable openings such as IZii-shown at difierent-positionson the periphery'of the bracket I2.

-As shown in Figure 1, the knobs are directly zoppo'sitei'each other but when-it is necessary to place'flthe bracket on'difierent types of mountings, such as are necessary to fit into instrument panels in'the' various cars, it is often desirable to place them at such position as shown in Figures'd and '7 and with myconstruction it is possible to do this without changing anything but theouter casingor face plate as the case my be. These two Figures 6 and l-show that it isp'ossible'to move the control knob I28, corresponding to knob "50 to give the desired location and to fit inthedifferent panels by merely supporting it at a different position on the periphery of thebracket I2." 'The dial itself-is then rotated to preserve symmetry inasmuch as the-center-line hasb'een changed 5.5 and of course'it is necessary to always have the 'dial'in' a correct angular position.

Iclaim: v

"-1. In a remote control, "a housing, parallel shafts supported'in'the housing, gears intercon- *necting'the shafts whereby'rotation of one causes the other tel rotate, a positionally adjustable memberjs'ecured to the housing and a third shaft parallel to the first two supportedby the member.

2. In a remote control; 'a pear shaped. unit, 75

means for rotatably supporting two spaced parallel shafts in the unit, means to drive one shaft from the other, detachable and adjustable means secured to the unit and a third rotatable and parallel shaft supported thereby, whereby the shafts all-cooperate to provide a coordinating remote control.

3. In a remote control, a unit, spaced rotatable shafts supported in the unit, means for driving one shaft from the other, detachable and adjustable means secured to the unit, and a third shaft supported by the last named means whereby the position of the third shaft may be Varied with respect to the other two as the installation requires.

4. In a remote radio control, a unit, a rotatable shaft supported within the unit, a dial carried thereby, a second spaced rotatable shaft carried by the unit, said second shaft being slightly axially movable, peripheral extensions on this last named shaft, a switch, a movable switch member engageable by the extensions and operable by axial movement of the shaft to operate the switch, driving means interconnecting the two shafts whereby rotational movement of the second shaft will rotate the dial and axial movement of the same the switch, axial locking means mounted on the second shaft to maintain it in inward position to keep the switch closed and illuminating means in the unit behind the dial controlled by the switch, said means comprising a sleeve mounted upon the second shaft and means to cause said sleeve to move axially upon rotation of the sleeve, said axial movement causing the locking.

5. In a remote control, a unit, an indicating dial carried by the unit, a tuning shaft also carried by the unit, means for driving the dial from the shaft, switching means carried by the unit, means for operating the switching means from axial movement of the shaft, illuminating means in the unit controlled by the switch, separable and adjustable means secured to the unitand volume and tone control means carried by this last named means.

6. In a remote control, a unit, spaced rotatable shafts supported by the unit, means for driving one shaft fromthe other, adjust-able means secured to the unit, and a third shaft supported by the last-named means whereby the position of the third shaft may be varied with respect to the H 

